6. How the Coronavirus Has Affected Women

Inequality between women and men always exists, however this world-wide pandemic has in many cases exacerbated this inequality and caused further burdens to be placed upon women. In the article "The Coronavirus Is a Disaster for Feminism", author Helen Lewis talks about how the coronavirus has re-created the old idea that women are child carers and men are breadwinners (2020). This is not because society necessarily believes that it is women's primary concern to be childcarers, however it is the institutions of society that have caused this. Lewis details how dual-income couples have previously both been able to have jobs and kids through the use of outside childcare, but now this balance has come crashing down because of social distancing (2020). Because women typically earn less than men, it is common sense for them to become the child carers while men are able to continue with their careers and earning money (2020). One other way in which women have been burdened during this pandemic is through the banning of abortions in many states in America. In an article for The New York Times, Sabrina Tavernise writes that "In at least seven states across the South and Midwest, authorities have included abortion as a nonessential medical procedure, arguing that postponement is necessary to preserve medical and protective equipment" (2020). However, for many women abortion is absolutely necessary and cannot be postponed, even disregarding their right to choose. In both of these instances, it is clear that women are getting the short end of the stick and their struggles are not being heard. These relate to gender inequalities that have existed for ages because "as part of a stratification system, gender ranks men above women of the same race and class" (Lorber 1996, 60). It is because of this ranking that women are becoming the victims of losing their jobs to childcare and losing their access to healthcare. These are not men's problems, so these issues have not been addressed although they are happening across the country. 

Lewis, Helen. 2020. "The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism." The Atlantic, March 19, 2020.  https://www.theatlantic.com/ international/archive/2020/03/feminism-womens-rights-coronavirus-covid19/608302/.
Lorber, Judith. 1996. "Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender." In Paradoxes of Gender. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Tavernise, Sabrina. 2020. "'Overwhelmed and Frustrated': What It's Like Trying to Get an Abortion in Texas." The New York Times, April 14, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/abortion-texas-coronavirus.html.